Summer Sessions More Students Opting for Relaxed Setting to Catch Up, Get Ahead

By JOHN MARTIN, Courier & Press staff writer 464-7594 or martinj@courierpress.com

Summer school is becoming more vital for a growing number of Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. students.

When the percentage of EVSC students graduating in four years increased in 2007 by nine points, to 84 percent, corporation officials were quick to mention summer school as a reason.

This summer’s program, which was renamed Summer Experience, had nearly 5,100 students enrolled in various programs for grades K-12.

At the high school level alone, 618 signed up. Core curriculum courses such as freshman, sophomore and junior English, geometry, Algebra I, Biology I, U.S. history and world history were offered.

For students such as Precious Fullilove of Reitz High School, the summer program represented a fresh start.

She struggled with attendance during the school year and is making up credits in English and history.

“I’m learning more here than I did during the school year,” Fullilove said. “I’m more focused.”

Stanley Trice III of Bosse High School also came to summer school because he struggled with a couple of classes.

“It put a lot of stress on me,” he said, but in the smaller classes at summer school, “the teachers are helping me a lot.”

Not all summer school students come to make up credits, though. EVSC officials say they are also seeing some incoming high school freshmen who view the academy as a

way to get a jump on things.

Some of those students are taking integrated math and science tutorial courses, said Dionne Blue, who along with Vic Chamness coordinated the summer high school program.

Asya Merriweather, who will be a freshman at North High School, is taking those two classes.

“I want to get ready for what I’ll be learning in high school,” Merriweather said. “At first I didn’t want to be here.. now I’m happy I’m in it It’s made me more confident.”

High school summer school participation for the last two years has been double what it was in previous years.

A key reason, according to EVSC officials, was the School Board’s decision to make bus transportation available.

EVSC receives a per-child reimbursement from the state for summer school programs, but the corporation won’t know what the amount is until the fall.

More than 450 middle school students are enrolled in summer school classes, and 225 elementary school students are enrolled.

Those figures don’t include the 21st Century Summer Enrichment Program, which is funded through several grants and offers morning academic and enrichment classes for 2,100 students at selected locations.

EVSC also partners with the Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation on an afternoon recreational program for about 1,300 students during the summer.

(c) 2008 Evansville Courier & Press. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.